Do You Believe in Magic?
by Les Miz Girl
Summary: Do you believe in magic? I didn't until I met him. J. Daniel Atlas. One of the four horsemen. My name is Ashley and here's my story.
1. Chapter 1

Do you believe in magic? I didn't until I met him. J. Daniel Atlas. One of the four horsemen. My name is Ashley and here's my story.

Chapter one:

9:30am

It was starting to rain on the Tuesday that I arrived in New York. I was on my way to see my sister, who I haven't seen in years. She had been talking about taking me to see a magic show. I don't really want to go but her boyfriend was a part of the group, therefore I have to. I arrive at her apartment and using the key she gave me, I unlock the door to find three men and a woman sitting on the couch. But no sister. One of the guys gets up and walks over to me. "Hey, you must be Ashley. Rose is just leaving work. I'm her boyfriend Jack." Okay, right apartment, still no sister and now the other people are staring at me. Great. "Hey, yep, I'm Ashley. Rose said she'd be here." She knows I can't be around people I don't know. Jack just smiles and nods towards the other people. "This is Merritt, Henley and Daniel. They're in the group you will be seeing tonight." I must have looked confused because one of them- I think it was Merritt said "Jack's also in the group. We are the four horseman." I nod, that makes sense. Just then the door behind me opens and Rose walks in. "Ashley! Hey sorry I was gone, my boss called me in today even though I told him I couldn't." She starts rambling on while nearly choking me to death by hugging. "It's alright, I only just got here." I tell her and she just smiles and pulls me into another hug. God I missed her. She is the only person who fully understands me.

6:00pm

We left to go to the venue that the four horsemen will be playing at in two different cars. I thought I would go with Rose but instead I am with Daniel. He's alright so far, even though he seems arrogant and when he talks to Merritt, they seem to try and one up each other. Still he talks to me and is nicer to me than what he is with Merritt. The only thing is that when he asked me if I believe in magic, I told him no and he smirked saying that my opinion will change after the show. We stop at a red light and I look over to him and see him staring. "Do you have a boyfriend?" He asks. I shake my head meaning no I don't. He smiles and replies with "Good." I stare at him a bit more as he drives, trying to figure out why he would want to know that.

7:30pm

Rose and I are sitting in our seats as the show starts. Daniel says something along the lines of "The more you look, the less you see" and then proceeds in pulling out a deck of cards and getting Jack to throw them towards the audience. "Wow. Some show this is" I sarcastically say to Rose who looks at me funnily and points back to the stage where Henley is jumping into a bubble that Daniel seemed to make out of nothing. Okay, that was pretty cool, I admit to myself. I sit back watching the audience be amazed by the tricks being done on stage. I can't believe how easy it is to fool people these days. Just give them some fake tricks and bam! They will forever be amazed. I look back to the stage where Merritt is hypnotizing a young woman to think she is at her father's birthday party in Ireland than the stage in New York.

9:30pm

"THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT! ONCE AGAIN WE ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN!" the four on stage call out at the same time. Rose grabs my hand and pulls me down to the door leading backstage. She shows the guards our passes and they let us through. Rose goes to congratulate Jack while I stand back. Of course Daniel sees this and starts walking over to me. "So, how'd you find the show?" He asks while smirking. I pretend to think it over. "Well Merritt's hypnotizing was really good but a part from that, I didn't really enjoy that much." I laugh at his expression. "I liked it, don't worry, I just still find it hard to believe in magic that's all." He looks at me, his eyes going up and down my body like he's trying to figure me out. "Well I guess I'll have to change that now won't I? I like a challenge." He smirks again and starts heading over to where he left his street clothes. I had learnt earlier that the four horsemen share an apartment with Rose and now, looking at Daniel, I had no idea if I should be happy that I'll have to put up with his annoyingly cute smirk.

Wednesday 7:30am

I groan as the sun hits my face from where I lie in the guest room. I hate waking up early and yet I always do. I get up and head towards the kitchen hoping to find coffee or something with caffeine when I bump into Daniel. He hands me a cup of coffee with a good morning and I watch as he walks back to his room. I groan again. How is he so cheerful at this time? I sit on the couch and drink my coffee. Damn! He makes good coffee. I make a note to myself to never tell him that or I'll get a smug smirk in return. I think back to last night when we all arrived home. Daniel had detoured and got us all ice cream which we all sat on the balcony and ate. Daniel had asked me how long I would be staying for. I had told him that I didn't know. Nobody except for Rose knows the reason that I came here and nobody will be finding out any time soon. Realising no one will be awake for ages and that Daniel wouldn't be coming back out for a while I go back to my room and find my book out of my luggage, settling down on the bed and starting from where I left off, hoping to lose myself in the book.

10:30am

Finishing the last page of my book, I sigh and decide that it's time to go out and be social. I walk out into the lounge room where I find Merritt and Jack watching cartoons while Henley and Rose are in the kitchen. Daniel is nowhere to be seen and I don't understand why I suddenly feel disappointed that he's not here. I go and help Rose and Henley in the kitchen, finding that I needed to do something rather then watch.

I have a feeling this will be a long day…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

11:30am

You know how earlier I said it would be a long day? Well that was only an hour ago and already it is feeling like a very long day. Daniel came back ten minutes ago and when Henley asked where he had gone, he just smirked and said "Out". I'm sitting on the balcony with my third cup of coffee of the day when he comes and sits next to me. "Whatcha doing out here?" He asks. I look at him and he smiles at me. Not one of his smirks or smug grins, just a smile. "Thinking." I reply. It was true. I am thinking about things. Of course he now has a questioning look on his face. I sigh. "I'm thinking about moving here. I just need to get away from my old life and start fresh." He nods, obviously thinking. "Well I know I'm not the only one who will be happy if you do. I mean Rose will be happy she has her sister and I know Merritt's taken a liking to you." He says as he moves closer to me. We're on a two seater and there is so much space. But as he moves in closer, I like it. The feeling of his body next to mine. I get up suddenly, this is happening too fast for me. "Sorry, I need the bathroom." I say as I head back indoors and into my room, where I lock the door and collapse onto my bed.

12:30pm

So far Rose, Daniel and Merritt have tried to talk to me. So far, I have spoken to no one. I can't believe I almost let him get that close to me. I had promised myself that I would never fall for someone or let someone get close to me again. It was all Ross' fault. Stupid Ross and his ability to charm any girl into falling for him. Stupid Ross for deciding I wasn't good enough. Stupid me for trusting him and believing all of his lies. It's his fault that I am considering leaving my home town of Sydney, Australia to come and live here. In New York with Rose. It's Ross' fault that I had no friends in Sydney any more. Or any possessions. All I have are the things that I brought to New York with me, so it's not like I need to go back. But if I stay, I'm stuck with Daniel. With that cute smirk and his adorable eyes… I sigh and fall back onto my bed. My stomach growls. I realize I hadn't eaten breakfast. But that means I have to eat. It might be time I have to face everyone.

15 minutes later.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rose asks me for the fourth time. I nod. I had gone out to the kitchen where I made myself a sandwich. Rose had instantly come to my side and I had asked her if I could talk to her privately. I told her everything that I had thought about. She listened quietly, and once I had finished, she gave me a hug and told me it would be alright. "Well you can always move in and continue using this room but I don't know what to do about Daniel." She gives me a smile. I smile back. I finish off my half eaten sandwich and put the plate on the bedside table. "I'm not sure either. I'll talk to the others and see if they would be happy if I moved in and then, who knows. I may." I look to her and she laughs. "They will be extremely happy if you did. Jack already considers you as his sister – in – law." Now it's my turn to laugh. She stands up and holds her hand out to me. I take hold and she pulls me up. "Come on, let's go talk to them now."

1:45pm

So after Rose and I talked to the rest, they decided that if I was to live with them, I needed new things. Henley and Merritt pretty much dragged me to the shops while Jack, Rose and Daniel went to get food for dinner. Henley had me trying on so many different pairs of clothes and I still have no idea how much they are as she won't let me look at the prices. Sitting down in the food court, I remember Daniel's reaction to finding out that I would be moving in. He smiled at first. A genuine smile and then his face dropped and he turned and walked into his room, shutting the door. I had ignored it at the time but thinking back on it now, I realize that he may still be hurt from me running away from him this morning. I know I have to make it up to him and explain my reaction but I wonder if that will scare him away forever. Merritt sits down next to me and I feel him studying me. "I take it by the way you're thinking so hard that you have a dilemma but you have no idea on what to do but you won't ask anyone for help because that would mean explaining to someone your past in which you are deeply ashamed and there's a boy involved." I look up at him and gape. Henley chooses that moment to sit down with our food.

2:00pm

We meet up with the others at the cars and start loading all our shopping into the two cars. "Hey Ash, you'll have to go with Daniel." Jack calls to me as he gets into the back next to Rose. I sigh, realizing they had planned this. I get in the passenger side as he gets in the driver's side. We sit in silence until he breaks it. "I know you mightn't want to talk about it, but why did you run away from me this morning?" I hesitate.

"I wanted you to be close to me, I liked it but I have a horrible past concerning boys and I didn't know your intentions and it got a bit too much for me. I am sorry, I was just reminded of something that I really didn't want to be reminded of-" I rambled until he cut me off by putting his hand onto mine.

"Hey, it's okay. I kinda realized that you needed some space and I respected that. I also know that the reason you're here is because of a guy named Ross." I turn to him, not knowing whether I should be mad at him. "Sorry I heard Rose and Jack talking about it." I already knew that Jack knows as Rose and him never keep secrets but I'm not sure if I want Daniel knowing.

"So you know his name, do you know what he did?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Well it all started….."


End file.
